Feral Children, Potty Training, and Mother's Day {7 Quick Takes}

--1--

We are, I think, in the home stretch of potty training for the time being - I don't think Peter's anywhere close to ready (although he keeps *asking* to go to the potty - I let him, and then he stood up and pooped on the floor, so I'm just gonna stick with diapers for now), but Elizabeth's getting closer to finally staying dry through the night. We're trying something new and I actually found a pretty awesome resource that I'm definitely using for all the kids I'll be potty training in the future!

--2--

Of course, I say that now, but I have to confess...

We may have achieved "housebreaking" more than "potty training."

Apparently it was all fun and games until Mary Claire stripped down and pooped in the mud puddle. Some would say #wildandfreechildren but I'm pretty sure it's more like #feralchildren

A photo posted by Rosie Hill (@rosiehill425) on May 2, 2016 at 11:37am PDT

She was already on her 3rd or 4th outfit of the day and our laundry situation right now is out of control (partly because of the constant getting soaked in mud puddles, and partly because the twins keep putting multiple pairs of underwear on their baby dolls and then putting them in their laundry so they NEVER have any clean underwear), so I didn't let her get a new outfit and she proceeded to play naked outdoors with everyone else for the next hour.

Well actually, she put on her water shoes because she wanted to play with the chickens and everybody has to wear shoes in the chicken coop.

I felt like somebody might call CPS on us... I was cutting gypsy moth caterpillar nests off one of the apple trees and bringing them to the chicken coop and the kids were playing with the caterpillars and feeding them to the chickens, most of them in various stages of undress (the children, not the chickens). I suppose this is one of those "magical" childhood moments that people talk about, but it probably would have been more magical with the addition of a couple pairs of underwear and perhaps a shirt or two?

--3--

Then the NEXT day I was at my midwife appointment (baby is doing well! Hooray!) and apparently the twins went outside and ELIZABETH pooped not once, but twice, this time *outside* the mud puddle because that way my mom's dog wouldn't try to drink it (this was her logic). And of course, the twins stripped and swam in the mud puddle, now with yesterday's feces well-aged.

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE APPEAL.

They won't keep their clothes on. It's ridiculous. I think they've gone feral.

On the plus side, Andrew separated them for naptime and Elizabeth actually slept (in our bed) and Mary Claire stayed put in her room, so I've done that with them for the past couple of days and it's worked SO much better than having them fight in their room for an hour, leaving several times to poop or play in the bathroom sink. Of course, today Elizabeth managed to apply lipstick to her eyebrows during that time, but it's not poop in a toy box so I'll take it.

(Yes, there was also an incident with poop in a toy box. They are on FIRE right now, these twins.)

--4--

So I'm really up for any solutions for keeping clothing on! I think once it's a little warmer and they're in their swimsuits all the time it won't be such a big deal - those aren't annoying when they're wet, and they're harder for the kids to take OFF while wet also, so they'll keep them on. And I'm sure it's just a stage, but GOSH how they egg each other on!

--5--

All of this made me think of the link Cristina sent me of photos of kids growing up without electronic devices - those kids are living a MAGICAL childhood! We're getting there - we still do have some electronic devices (a portable DVD player that they listen to music on, a bluetooth speaker for audiobooks, and TV a few times a week with my mom) and obviously my electronics use (ahem, smartphone, digital camera, laptop) far outstrips their own. But it *did* make me happy to see that those kids apparently don't keep their clothes on either ;)

I think Peter is the most "country" of all the kids - he's just absolutely in his element in the dirt. The other day I was trying to scoop water out of the asparagus trench and he REALLY wanted to help, so he had his own plastic cup that he kept scooping muddy water up with and trying to drink, and smacking his fat little hand in the mud. He was FILTHY. I brought him to the door to take off his shirt and he ran straight away after that, eager to do his own thing. In this particular case he really just wanted to try lifting cinderblocks. That farmer's tan - I can't even. He's amazing.

--6--

I promise I'm done talking about poop.

Mother's Day is this weekend! It snuck up on me... How about you? I've got a post with Mother's Day gift ideas from ModCloth (one of my absolute favorite quirky and classic online stores) that you should check out.

And I've got a new linkup going! You should join in on Sunday - it's called My Sunday Best and if you *know* you're not going to be able to take a picture and write a blog post in the same day, I'll tell you a secret... A lot of the time I get a week behind and just use the picture from last week, write the post ahead of time, and publish it like that! I'm actually back on track right now, but please know this is more about building community and encouraging each other than it is about polished & professional blog posts!

--7--

I'm behind on my 52 Project photography posts (the camera battery is dead and I haven't gotten around to charging it), but this picture of Elizabeth after Mass on Sunday kills me - look at how OLD she looks!!!

Okay, these have gotten to be ridiculously long quick takes... I'm linking up with Kelly, and you should too! #makelinkupsgreatagain

Happy Friday!